BEVERLY HILLS, February 24, (THEWILL) – No fewer than 17 people were killed across the country on Saturday as violence erupted during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Three of the victims died at different polling units at Okota, a suburb of Lagos, and three in Sapele, Delta State, two each in Bayelsa and Kogi States while one each was killed in Oyo and Zamfara States while the army confirmed six in Rivers State alone.
The victims in Rivers State included two brothers and a soldier.
Sources identified one of the victims in Lagos simply as Peter. He was said to be a barber and was allegedly shot and stabbed to death at Powerline, Canal Estate in Okota by thugs who stormed the polling station in an attempt to disrupt the electoral process.
Another was identified as Demola, a leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in the area who was lynched by a mob for allegedly denying them a right to vote.
The identity of the third man could not be immediately established, but he was stabbed to death at Last Bus Stop, Ago Okota.
Residents alleged that the thugs first showed their intent as early as 8am when they stormed the area threatening prospective voters.
They blamed the police and soldiers for not acting on reports about the activities of the alleged hoodlums.
Some of the hoodlums also stormed polling unit 023, Ago Palace Way, and set fire to thumb printed ballot papers.
However, the voters fought back and the thugs fled on a motorcycle.
In Sapele, hoodlums swooped on voters as they queued to exercise their franchise at Amukpe area of Sapele and unexpectedly opened fire.
Two persons died on the spot while another died in the hospital.
Two other persons hit by bullets are now receiving treatment in the hospital.
The motive of the gunmen could not be immediately established.
Unknown gunmen also shot to death, a chieftain of the APC in Rivers State, Chief Mowan Owo-Ete, and his brother.
They were killed in the politician’s residence at Asarama, Andoni Local Government Area at about 9am.
Owo-Ete, a former Vice-Chairman of PDP and ex-Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike on Political Matters, defected to the APC last October.
The gunmen were said to have scaled the fence of the house and rained bullets on them at close range.
It was learnt that Owo-Ete had narrowly escaped assassination shortly before the February 16 elections were postponed.
It was also gathered that a soldier was killed in Abonema
In Bayelsa, a Yenagoa Government House photographer, Mr. Reginald Dei, and a ward chairman of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) Seidougha Taribi were the victims in Bayelsa State.
They were allegedly killed by armed men in military uniform at Oweikorogha, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area òf the State.
The State Chairman of PDP, Chief Moses Cleopas said that thugs identified to be working for the APC with the support of some soldiers had besieged the Bassambiri and Oluasiri axis of Nembe Local Government Area, where they engaged operatives in a shootout all night on Friday.
According to him, the attackers lost a member in the attack while several others were injured and taken to the Hospital in Ogbolomabiri and Yenagoa.
He stated further that the rampaging APC thugs hijacked the electoral materials for the seven wards of Bassambiri and Oluasiri to a building for thumb-printing.
In Kogi East, thugs killed two persons in Anyigba, Dekina local government of Kogi State while attempting to disrupt voting in the area.
The victims lost their lives at the Ajetachi polling unit when thugs stormed the area.
They were said to have been shooting indiscriminately, killing the victims one of whom was a nineteen year old boy, simply identified as Usman.
A woman who was on the queue to cast her ballot was seriously injured.
At Agbeji, thugs who invaded two polling unit tried to force the Presiding Officers (PO) to sign completed result sheets.
The POs however refused, and took to their heels, resulting in the disruption of the exercise.
A lieutenant in the Nigerian Army was killed in election violence in Rivers State, the army announced on Saturday evening as contained in a statement by Sagir Musa, a colonel and current army spokesperson.
Mr Musa said the seven people including the lieutenant were killed when some people attacked soldiers on patrol.
Read Mr Musa’s full statement below.
Political Thuggery: Army Kills 6 Assailants, Loses Officer in Rivers State
Information reaching Headquarters Nigerian Army (NA) revealed that troops of 6 Division on a legitimate duty of protecting lives and properties of law abiding citizens and ensuring a conducive environment for peaceful conduct of 2019 General Elections in Abonnema, Akuku Toru Local Government Area (LGA) Rivers State were attacked by some hoodlums.
The pre-planned attack occurred in between Charles and Bob-Manuel’s compounds in Abonnema Town at about 1:00pm on the 23rd February 2019.
The attackers barricaded a major road into the town and laid an ambush in the adjoining built-up areas from where they opened fire on our unsuspecting troops when they attempted to remove the barricade.
The gallant troops fought their way through the siege and in the process killed six of the assailants. However, we lost a lieutenant in the encounter.
Preliminary investigation indicated that one Roland Sekibo, – the Chairman Akuku Toru LGA, Omodo – the CSO Akuku Toru LGA and Kenneth of Kula currently at large were the masterminds of the unexpected/ unprovoked attack.
To this end, the NA strongly hereby state that perpetrators of this ambush will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
About the Author
